The present invention relates to call handling in radio communication networks and more particularly to a method for handling calls received from a radio communication network at a wireless mobile terminal comprising a short-range interface.
A mobile wireless terminal dedicated to access to a radio communication network, as for example a GSM mobile phone or third generation UMTS mobile phone and further comprising an interface for short-range communication are known in the art. An example of a such mobile wireless terminal is described in Bluetooth Specification Version 1.0 B page 100 from 1 Dec. 1999 under the name “3-in-1 phone”. In that case, the short-range interface is a Bluetooth interface. Bluetooth is a specification that describes how mobile phones, computers, personal digital assistants and other stand-alone devices can easily interconnect with each other using a short-range wireless connection. Each device is equipped with a microchip transceiver that transmits and receives in a frequency band of 2.45 GHz that is available globally (with some variation of bandwidth in different countries). Each device is identified by a unique 48-bit address defined in the Bluetooth standard. Built-in encryption and verification of this unique address is provided for ensuring the connection security.
At home, the “3-in 1 phone” functions as a cordless telephone. On the move, it functions as a cellular telephone. For these two first applications, the mobile telephone uses the usual interface to a radio communication network at home the 3-in-1 phone communicates for example over DECT to a local base station, on the moves, the 3-in-1 phone communicates over GSM.
In a third configuration, when the 3-in-1 phone comes within the range of another mobile phone with built-in Bluetooth technology, it functions as a walkie-talkie and communicates exclusively with the other mobile phone over the Bluetooth interface. In that case, the communication does not require resources from a radio communication network. Moreover, the communication is not billed.
A drawback of this kind of “3-in-1 phone” is that both wireless interfaces are used independently from one another. Either the radio interface to the radio communication network is operative or the short-range interface is operative.
A particular object of the present invention is to enhance the call handling functionality for calls received from a radio communication network at a wireless mobile telephone having a short-range interface.
Another object of the invention is to provide a wireless mobile terminal for performing this method as well as a computer program to be implemented in the wireless mobile terminal for performing the method.